Eternal Encouragement

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. – (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, NIV)

We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father will comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us and gave us through His grace a wonderful hope and comfort that has no end. – (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, ERV)

May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech. – (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, MSG)

The encouragement that Paul sent to the church through this letter, is still meant to be the same for us today. As we hope in Him, God shows us His love through Jesus and provides us with encouragement and strength in all that we do and say. His comfort continues throughout each new day, as hope in Him knows no end. Daily, we can receive the gifts that He offers as He grows our confidence in Him, for it is through Him that we find wonderful hope and unending comfort. May we ever seek the Lord to place a new heart in us to invigorate what we do and enliven what we say in ways that point people to the goodness of God.

The Lord, Jesus Christ,

And God our Father;

Grant us the good gifts,

To love each other.

Fresh hope to strengthen,

As we rise each day;

His encouragement,

That shows us His way.

May all that we say,

And all that we do;

Show Your gracious love,

And guide hearts to You.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You loved us first, and that You strengthen us and grant us hope through Your unending goodness and grace. Forgive us for the times that we have neglected to seek You or have somehow ignored Your help that was right in front of us. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would seek You to lead us in Your love and to guide us in Your goodness through all that we say and do. Show us how to love those around us in tangible ways that make Your heart known. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we intentionally seek You to lead us in Your love as You flood us with Your hope, encouragement and strength. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. – Colossians 2:6-7

Eternal Encouragement

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. – (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, NIV)

We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father will comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us and gave us through His grace a wonderful hope and comfort that has no end. – (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, ERV)

May Jesus Himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech. – (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, MSG)

Because we have hope in Christ, we are loved and given grace after grace to be encouraged and strengthened in all that we do and say. God is our comfort and source to rise up and walk in His love that provides encouragement and good hope. May we ever pray to the Lord and trust in Him, for He is the One who comforts our hearts and strengthens us for good in all that we do and say.

The Lord is faithful,

To meet us each day;

With courage and strength,

To love in His way.

Good deeds and good words,

Purposed in our call;

So those whom we meet,

Know that He loves all.

Help us each morning,

To seek as we rise;

Learn to love anew,

Make hope realized.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You love us and You give us eternal hope to which we can hold fast. Thank You that You encourage and strengthen us to do the good and speak the words that You have for us. Forgive us for the times that we have acted or spoken in our own strength instead of in Yours. Teach us to trust and rely on You to lead us well. Show us how to love all whom we meet in ways that convey the goodness of Your grace and the depth of Your love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to lead us and praise You for Your encouragement and strength. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely. – Psalm 37:4

Love Made Perfect

This is how much God loved us, dear friends! So we also must love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us. If we love each other, God’s love has reached its goal – it is made perfect in us. – (1 John 4:11-12, ERV)

So, my loved ones, if God loved us so sacrificially, surely we should love one another. No one has ever seen God with human eyes; but if we love one another, God truly lives in us. Consequently God’s love has accomplished its mission among us. – (1 John 4:11-12, VOICE)

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and His love becomes complete in us – perfect love! – (1 John 4:11-12, MSG)

The more we love one another, the better those around us come to understand the love of God. Perfect love is God’s love being made visible through our decision to love. Love is a choice, and each time we choose to love, we are choosing to show the world what God intended all along. However, if we talk about God or His love but do not show it through our interactions, then we are just making noise and are keeping the love of God hidden. If fact, it does more damage if we do not choose to show love, for to some, we might be the only example of who God is in their lives. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us in His love so that those around us may come to understand God’s goodness and grace as His love is demonstrated through all that we say and do.

The love of the Lord,

Is beyond compare;

It is by His grace,

That we all can share.

Share of His goodness,

And love others well;

Ever choose to love,

As in Him we dwell.

For when we know love,

We give it away;

It never runs out,

It’s made new each day.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that because You first loved us, we too, are called to love one another. Thank You that this is not something we have to do on our own, but rather You equip and empower us to love as You love. Forgive us for the times that we have neglected to love as You call us to love. Teach us to trust You to lead us and fill us, so that we may ever be Your hands, heart and voice to those around us. Show us how to love each person we encounter as You would. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to lead us in love. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

This is my command. Love one another as I have loved you. – John 15:12

The Process of Perfect Love

Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us. – (1 John 4:11-12, HCSB)

That is how much God loved us, dear friends! So we also must love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us. If we love each other, God’s love has reached its goal – it is made perfect in us. – (1 John 4:11-12, ERV)

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and His love becomes complete in us – perfect love! – (1 John 4:11-12, MSG)

God’s love changes our hearts and transforms our minds so that we too, might love as He loves. As humans, we are subject to sin and falling short, so the process of being transformed is one that requires an entire lifetime. That being said, it is a process that is well worth the while. When we allow God’s love to reconstruct our hearts and minds to more clearly reflect His own, we have the opportunity to show God’s love to all those around us. In this space of loving as God loves us, we can become His representatives of what love ought to be. The challenge is that when we do not choose to act in love, we are responding as the world does, and discrediting the heart of God for others. I say that not to bring shame, but rather to encourage each of us to seek to love God and love people (His creation) as He loves us. We all fall short, but what we do with our shortcomings makes all the difference. Are we quick to apologize and make amends, or do we ignore and let things go that can create a divide? The more I seek the Lord, the more I see opportunities all around me to show evidence of His love. Love is patient and kind, it rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. It does not envy, is not boastful or conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love never ends and has set before us the way to love well. (see 1 Corinthians 13) May we ever seek the Lord to lead us in His love so that those around us might experience for themselves the goodness of God.

The love of the Lord,

Is greatest of all;

For it lifts us up,

Each time that we fall.

It brushes us off,

And fills us again;

Overwhelms with good,

As each day begins.

Press in, keep seeking,

For God’s always found;

Perfect love won’t fail,

Hope in Him is sound.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are loving and kind, and that You fill and equip us to love like You as we seek You and depend on You. Forgive us for our shortcomings and failures when we did not choose love. Lead us in Your kindness so that we may love as You love each of us. Show us how to love those around us in ways that make Your perfect love tangible. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we love You and love those around us as You intended. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

This is My command. Love one another as I have loved you. – John 15:12

Love Because…

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. – (1 John 4:11, NIV) 

That is how much God loved us, dear friends! So we also must love each other. – (1 John 4:11, ERV)

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. – (1 John 4:11, MSG)

 

So far, this weekend has been exactly what Mark and I both needed. It is the first weekend in months that we have not had plans nor an agenda. Yesterday turned into a wonderful day of quality time catching up with friends. After my love and I took care of some errand and returned home, I was able to escape and get mani/pedis with my best friend. Between us, our work schedules have kept us from spending the time together that we would most enjoy, so an afternoon together was a great way to catch up. In the evening, Mark and I met up with one of my dearest friends from childhood (our bonus sister), along with her husband and son, and spent a wonderful evening together, sharing life and enjoying each other’s company. The love that God gives us to love one another was made evident throughout the day in each interaction. His love runs deep, and it is not limited by how often we see one another. His goodness and grace are abundant, and relationships long ago established, remain full of love by His grace. May we ever recognize the depth of love that God has for us, and extend the same to those with whom we interact.

 

May the love of God,

Move our hearts and minds;

To love as we’re loved,

With grace, choose be kind.

For each time we choose,

To love like the Lord;

His heart is made known,

As good is outpoured.

So, let us choose love,

Just as God loves us;

Grace to each other,

Through hope we express.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the depth and breadth of Your love that envelops us and empowers us to love. Thank You for the gift of friendships that exemplify the greatness of Your grace and goodness of Your love. Thank You that You place Your love for people within us. Forgive us for the times that we have chosen not to extend all that You have given us to others. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would love those around us in the same way that we are loved by You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we receive the incredible love that You give so that we can turn and extend the same to those around us. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. – Matthew 22:39